Fear

"What is your deepest fear, young man?"

       People commonly ask, "What are you afraid of?" The answer tells a lot about an individual: about their outlook on life, about their trials. For just one second you can see a glimpse of their world as you stare into their eyes and they flash back to a memory. A different time, and a different place that holds one of those memories you can tell they're glad is now just a memory, and no longer is it a current situation. Because each fear tells a story, each fear tells a hurt. Behind every scar is a story left untold, and a scab left in its wake. But we're looking at the equation in the wrong order, and this notion needs to be altered. It was once said that:

       Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. It's not just in some of us; it's in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.

       If that is the case, why is the natural response to a fear about a time when we were inadequate? Our perception needs to change, for everything that has passed, is passed; it has no hold on our present, and more importantly, our future. Instead of thinking about the scars behind you, think of them as something that has better prepared you for what lies ahead. Think about a time in the future where because of the scabs you have formed, you will be powerful beyond measure.